Rahul visits family of Haryana youth injured in accident in US
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited Ghoghripur village on Friday morning to meet the family of Amit Maan, a local youth who was recently injured in an accident in the US.
Maan had travelled to the US through the donkey route. During his recent visit to the US, Gandhi met Maan and promised him to visit his family after returning to India. To keep that promise, he arrived at the village at around 6 am.
Gandhi spent over an hour with the family, expressing concern for Amit.
He also met the families of five other youths who had similarly gone abroad. The families shared with Rahul the youths’ struggles with unemployment which, they said, led them to take risks in search of better opportunities abroad.
Amit’s elder brother Ajit said they had spent Rs 42 lakh to send him to the US, selling three acres of land and borrowing money by mortgaging their house a year back. “He had met with an accident in the US and Rahul met him there,” he said.
Bheermati, Amit’s mother, expressed gratitude to Rahul. “We were pleasantly surprised that Rahul visited our house. We were not aware of this. We thank him that he met Amit in the US and now came to see us. It shows he cares about the people,” she said.
During the visit, Gandhi also heard similar stories from other families. Vedpal, a resident of Birchpur village, whose son Ankit Kajal also went to the US illegally, highlighted unemployment as a major issue forcing the youth to go abroad. He narrated how they had struggled to send their son abroad. The family expressed their appreciation for Rahul’s visit by gifting him homemade desi ghee, butter and lassi.
Mother, wife and brother of Hanif, another youth who also went to the US a year back, also shared their plight. They informed Rahul that Hanif had received a fracture in the leg while jumping the wall while entering the US.
Satinder Mann, whose brother Tajinder has been helping the local youth in settling in the US for over 10 years, informed Rahul that desperation drives young people to take the donkey route. “Rahul asked us why so many youths are leaving, and we told him it’s unemployment,” Satinder said, adding, “My brother helps every youth who reaches the US, on humanitarian grounds.”
They also informed Rahul about the growing issue of unemployment in rural areas, and they appreciated the gesture of Rahul.
Later, Rahul had a brief stay outside the farmhouse of the party's candidate from Gharaunda, Virender Rathore, near Bastara toll plaza, where he was welcomed by the party workers. People also clicked selfies with Rahul.
